Welcome Letters
April 16, 2012
Dear Media Member:
On behalf of the Boston Athletic Association, welcome to the City of Boston and the 116th running of the Boston Marathon.
This year also marks the 125th Anniversary of the Boston Athletic Association, one of the nation's oldest athletic clubs. Established in 1887, the B.A.A. opened its clubhouse in 1888 on the present-day site of the new Boston Public Library very close to the present Marathon Finish Line.
But it was in 1897, some ten years later, when 15 runners lined up in Ashland, Massachusetts, to complete a 24.5 mile B.A.A. Road Race to Boston. On Monday, over 27,000 runners from across the globe will travel to Hopkinton to participate in the Boston Marathon and to "run Boston."
Last year's race was clearly something special, with near perfect conditions and blistering performances by many contenders. It was Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya who crossed the finish line first, with a world's best ever time of 2:03:02. Mutai will be back this year to defend his title. He will be challenged by 2010 NYC Marathon Champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia and 2010 Boston Marathon Champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot of Kenya. Other favorites include 2011 Amsterdam and Rotterdam winner Wilson Chebet, and 2011 Chicago second and third place finishers Wesley Korir and Bernard Kipyego.
No less spectacular has been the women's race which has seen a string of hotly contested finishes. Caroline Kilel, who won last year's race with time of 2:22:36, will be back to defend her title. Seeking to dethrone Caroline will be her Kenyan teammates Sharon Cherop and Caroline Rotich who finished third and fourth in last year's race. Other favorites include a strong Ethiopan contingent including NYC Marathon champion Firehiwot Dado and runner-up Buzunesh Deba. We will also be welcoming back our defending wheelchair champions, Masazumi Soejima and Wakako Tsuchida, both of Japan. And Sunday morning's 5k marks the first race in our new B.A.A. Distance Medley Series which will award $100,000 to the male and female winners with the lowest cumulative time in our 2012 5k, 10k, and B.A.A. Half-Marathon.
We would not be able to stage our race without the enthusiastic support of our more than 8,000 volunteers who come back each year to make it happen, and the tremendous cooperation of the state and local officials who oversee the eight cities and towns that make up our historic course. Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank our many sponsors and in particular John Hancock Financial Services, our presenting sponsor, whose unwavering commitment to the Marathon has allowed it to retain its world-class status. They have been with us every step of the way and we are grateful for their support.
A final thank-you goes to you, who as members of the media, have travelled to Boston to cover the race. We are hoping for another day to remember in the glorious history of the Boston Marathon.
Thank you again,
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| Joann E. Flaminio President |
Thomas S. Grilk Executive Director |
April 16, 2012
Dear Members of the Media,
We would like to extend our welcome and appreciation for your valued role in sharing the excitement of the Boston Marathon with communities around the globe. By providing exceptional reporting each year, you join us in celebrating the unprecedented athletic tradition of the world's oldest annual marathon.
Last year you captured history in the making, as Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever run on a certified course. He outkicked his Kenyan teammate Moses Mosop in the final meters to break the tape in a World's Best 2:03:02 to Moses' 2:03:06. Never before in the sport had two men run as fast over the 26.2-mile distance.
In the women's race your reporting of Kenyan Caroline Kilel trading the lead with American Desiree Davila down Boylston Street kept us equally enthralled. We held our breath as Caroline ultimately triumphed over Desiree by two seconds for the 2:22:36 win. The close finish marked the fourth year the women's race was decided by less than three seconds.
And who can forget your poignant coverage of Rick and Dick Hoyt as father and son crossed the finish line together for the 29th time? We were once again deeply inspired by the Hoyts' commitment to changing perceptions of what is possible for all of us.
Beyond these headlines, you continued to showcase the unity in the Boston Marathon community by covering not only the strength and courage of runners toeing the starting line, but by commenting on the support of the thousands of volunteers and non-profit partners, fans and families, and civic and business leaders who helped those runners get to the finish line.
John Hancock marks its 27th year as principal sponsor at this year's race and its 150th anniversary as a Company. We continue to value our long-standing partnership with the Boston Athletic Association and recognize their exemplary accomplishment of organizing and sustaining this premier event for the past 116 years.
We thank you again for your outstanding coverage of the Boston Marathon.
James R. Boyle
President, John Hancock